


When I miss you at night...

by Yehet_94



Category: EXO (Band), NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:57:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14719148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yehet_94/pseuds/Yehet_94
Summary: Late night texts that lead to early morning regrets.Where Jaehyun and Taeyong had an on and off relationship during their college years. Until finally Jaehyun breaks the relationship off. Taeyong thought that it was the end of their relationship, but Jaehyun has other plans.





	1. Chapter 1

FRIDAY NIGHT

2:00am I miss you.  
2:05am Can i come over?  
2:07am Yong, please…

Taeyong looked over at his phone's blinking red light signaling a new message, distracted from the book he was reading. It was the message he had been waiting for for the past 2 weeks. He didn't know what to reply or if he even should. He didn't want to sound desperate, but he also missed him. He missed him more than what a single text message could express.

2:15am The door is unlocked.

Is all Taeyong replied with. He knows Jaehyun would get the hint. Twenty-minutes later he heard the door to his apartment rattle open and close. He was still hunched over his textbook writing notes. He felt someone behind him, smelled the alcohol on Jaehyun's breath. 

Does he only miss me when he's drunk? Taeyong thought... 

But the moment Jaehyun’s lips touched his neck he knew that his resolve was gone, it had been too long since the last time he had felt the warmth, his warmth. And he was so...so cold. All he could do was sigh...

Jaehyun took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Slowly stumbling into the room and falling on the bed, Jaehyun pulls him down onto the bed with him. Jaehyun flips their positions so he is hovering on top of Taeyong, breathing slowly. 

"I've missed you..." Jaehyun whispers in his ear. Kissing and sucking down his neck. Taeyong sighs, his heart is fluttering, he knows he should stop, it's not healthy for him to keep his hopes up. It's been weeks since he's had a good night's sleep, all because he keeps hoping Jaehyun will come and he doesn't want to miss his texts. As Jaehyun starts to undress them both Taeyong closes his eyes, hopes that when he wakes up in the morning Jaehyun will be next to him cuddling. But all his hopes are crushed when he opens his eyes in the morning, the spot next to him on the bed is cold, meaning it has been a while since Jaehyun left. He closes his eyes and a single tear falls. He tells himself that last night was the last time he let him come, that the next time he will not answer. But deep down he knows he won't stop himself from saying yes. And that realization is what hurts him the most.


	2. Chapter 2

SUNDAY MORNING

Another sleepless night, he finished all his homework and did some of the essays that are due in advanced. He gets up from bed leaving the book he was reading face down in the covers. He removes his glasses and rubs his eyes as he makes his way to his bathroom. He has the day off today so he is going to a late breakfast with Doyoung and Ten. It's been a while since they caught up with each other. He looks into the mirror after getting out of the shower and he has to admit he looks like crap. He has deep eye bags under his eyes, his skin is too pale and it’s making the fading hickeys on his neck stand out more than they should. He looks away and walks into his closet to put on his clothes. He picks out a tan turtleneck sweater to cover his neck and his favorite ripped black jeans and his simple black slide-on vans. He picks up his wallet and keys and leaves for the cafe where they are meeting up. He is early to leave, so he decides to walk there instead of taking a taxi. 

Once he arrives at the cafe he spots Doyoung sitting by himself in a table by the windows. He waves when Doyoung looks up. 

"It's been a while Doyoungie." Taeyong says as he approaches his long time friend. Doyoung gets up and gives Taeyong a quick hug. Taeyong takes a seat opposite Doyoung on the table.

"Where's Ten?" he asks. 

"He's running a little late, you know he's not a morning person." Doyoung replies simply. 

Taeyong smirks, knowing how hard it was to wake Ten up in the morning. He recalls the time when they were roommates during college and how many times he failed to wake Ten up when they had an early morning class. He hopes Johnny has better luck than he did back in the day. 

"How have you been Tae? It's been a while since the last time we met up." Doyoung says. "How is the gallery doing?"

"I'm doing okay." Taeyong tries to smile, he knows his appearance says otherwise, but he 'feels' okay. "The gallery is doing great actually and I'm taking some more online classes to get a degree in business to help me better understand the ins and outs of how to make the gallery grow." Taeyong says excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. 

"I'm glad that the gallery is doing good. " Doyoung says smiling warmly at him, he looks up and sees Ten coming in. 

"Look who finally made it." He exclaims as Ten rushes to their table. 

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I woke up late." Ten explains hurriedly. Taeyong and Doyoung look at each other before bursting into laughter. 

"We can tell." They both say at the same time grinning from ear to ear. Ten just whines at the both of them. 

"So are you guys ready to order?" Asks the waiter as he stops by their table. 

"Yes!" They all say in unison. After taking their orders the waiter leaves.

The three friends look at each other and start catching up. As it turns out Ten finally got asked to be a permanent teacher at a famous dance studio where he used to work part time. Doyoung is CFO at his father's company and he enjoys the responsibility. 

"By the way I saw Jaehyun at one of the company's parties, from what I heard he is taking over from his father and since his company owns shares in ours we were invited." Doyoung says out of nowhere, he keeps a sharp eye on Taeyong to see what kind of expression his friend would make.

Taeyong swallows sharply as he looks up. 

"Oh, really I didn't know he was taking over from his father. We have not talked since college." He replies.

It's true, what they do is not considered talking. When was the last time they had a conversation? Taeyong questions himself. Everytime Jaehyun is over he is either too drunk or angry, he does what he wants to Taeyong and leaves before he wakes up.

Doyoung sees the sad look that Taeyong tries to hide. He saw the hickeys on his neck and he knows that Jaehyun is responsible for them, he is the only person that Taeyong has eyes for. And Doyoung feels pity for his friend, he deserves someone better, someone that would treat him like something other than just a quick fuck. But he knows Taeyong is too weak and Jaehyun is his weakness. 

 

They part ways and Taeyong takes his time roaming around the city with his headphones on. He walks along the river path listening to his favorite songs. By the time he realises the time, the sun is already setting. He makes his way back towards his apartment, still listening to his music. 

When he arrives home he sees Jaehyun leaning against his door. Taeyong takes a step back startled to see the taller man there. It’s rare for Jaehyun to show himself so soon after their hook-up from Friday night. The word hook-up leaves a bitter taste on Taeyong’s mouth after he thinks about it. Is that all that he is in Jaehyun’s eyes? A willing booty-call? Ready for whenever he calls? His thoughts make him want to turn around and go back to the river’s edge, where the sound calms him. But before he has a chance to turn around and leave, Jaehyun turns around and gives him a smile. A big smile, dimples on full show. His eyes are red, so Taeyong knows that he is drunk. But it has been so long since he last saw such a bright smile and it only makes him think of the past, when things between them were good. 

“Yong, you’re here…” Jaehyun slurs. Trying to make his way towards Taeyong without falling.

Taeyong makes his way to Jaehyun quickly. Catching him before he falls.

“I thought you were ignoring me. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.” Jaehyun cries into Taeyong’s neck. 

Taeyong struggles to make his way towards his apartment door with Jaehyun’s weight on him. He says nothing in response.

Once he successfully opens the door and has safely deposited Jaehyun on his couch does he relax. It’s been awhile since Jaehyun last showed up this drunk. Something must have happened for him to lose himself this much.

“I’ll bring you a glass of water, wait here.” Taeyong says to the man lying down on his sofa. 

He makes his way to his attached kitchen and fills a glass full of water. He takes it back to the drunk man and tries to make him drink it. Although there is some spilling he successfully gets Jaehyun to drink the whole glass. 

Jaehyun sighs into the couch once Taeyong gets up to put the glass in the sink.  
“Yong, you’re the only one that takes such good care of me. I miss this, I miss us, I miss you…” Jaehyun mumbles sleepley.

Taeyong’s breath hitches, his knuckles tighten around the counter top. He breathes in. He tells himself that it’s the alcohol speaking, sober Jaehyun would never admit that out loud. He breathes out.

He goes to the closet and pulls out a warm blanket to put over Jaehyun. He pulls Jaehyun’s hair away from his forehead and gives him a soft kiss.

“Goodnight Jae, sweet dreams..” he whispers.

Taeyong makes his way towards the bedroom. He gets ready for bed and sits at his desk, he pulls out his textbook and fires up his laptop. He doesn’t know when he falls asleep. But when he wakes up the next morning with a blanket over his shoulders, he knows that Jaehyun is gone, and his heart breaks a little more that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts. uwu


	3. Chapter 3

TUESDAY NIGHT

Taeyong makes his way home from the gallery. It had been a good day today. He was able to sign a new artist, who had been making his name known through releases of his art in online communities. Taeyong already had a lot of ideas running through his mind about the coming exhibition he would have to plan in order to introduce the new artist into the art scene. 

He would have to have the showroom repainted to white, as the last exhibition’s theme asked for a red background. From there he would have to hire a high end food servicing company, as he planned on inviting people that had deep pockets. He was sure that with this newcomer his gallery would get more known and in turn the artist would be able to sell his artwork through better channels and make more money.

Taeyong was excited about all the possibilities.


	4. Chapter 4

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Taeyong made his way around the showroom, making note of everything that needed to be fixed or changed. He had already emailed a couple food servicing companies to inquire about the catering for the exhibition. He had also sent an email to the artist to choose a day for the exhibition. And as he waited for the responses he tried to make himself as busy as possible.

His boss was out of the country at the moment looking for art pieces for another exhibition that would happen at the end of the year , so he was in charge of the whole gallery. And at the moment it was only him and the receptionist/secretary Joo-hyun. They got along exceptionally well, they had each other’s phone number on speed dial from how often they called each other. 

Joo-hyun was an exceptionally beautiful woman with a bigger heart. And she was always available when he needed her and vice versa. They knew a lot about each other and she even knew about his ‘special’ relationship with Jaehyun. 

Today they decided to go to lunch together, closing the gallery on their way out. Their boss didn’t mind since they mostly dealt with private actioning so being open during the day was not necessarily needed. 

They made their way down the road to their favorite restaurant with Joo-hyun’s arms wrapped around Taeyong’s elbow since she was wearing some really high heels and the bustling of people around them made it hard for her to walk. Taeyong didn’t mind at all. It was comforting to be needed. 

He held the door open for her and grabbed her hand to stop her from falling when someone pushed their way out, bumping into her.

“Are you okay?” Taeyong asked concerned.

“I’m fine thank you for catching me before I made a fool out of myself.” Joo-hyun smiles warmly at him. Once again taking his elbow in her hands.

“That guy was an asshole,” he fumes “he should look where he is going.”  
“Don’t worry about it Tae,” she says softly. “I’m okay and you caught me. My prince charming.” She says giggling at the face he pulls when she says the last part.

Taeyong laughs along, guiding the both of them to their usual table. He pulls her chair back and helps her sit down before taking his own seat.

They order their usual lunch. And as the waiter is walking away he finally notices the deep eyes that are staring at him from across the restaurant.

His breath hitches. 

Jaehyun is sitting there, wearing a black Armani suit with his hair styled perfectly. And his eyes are trained directly on Taeyong.

Taeyong looks away, breaking eye contact. He looks at over at Joo-hyun, panic in his eyes. 

“He’s here,” he whispers quietly at her.

Her eyes double in size, knowing exactly who he is talking about and breathes out sharply.

“Do you want to leave?” she questions softly, “we can have the waiter box our food and we can take a walk in the park and eat our lunch there if you want.”

Taeyong is grateful for her suggestion, but he knows they won’t get anywhere with the shoes she’s currently wearing. And he doesn’t want to make her suffer because of him.

He puts his hand over her hand. “It’s okay. We can stay. I’m okay.” He doesn’t know whether he’s trying to convince her or himself, but when he looks over at Jaehyun’s direction he regrets it immediately.

Jaehyun is looking at where his hand is over Joo-hyun’s and he looks pissed. He catches Taeyong’s eyes again and gives him a heated stare before looking away towards the people sitting at the table with him.

Taeyong slowly breathes out and takes a sip of his water. He doesn’t understand what that look meant and quite honestly he is too tired to try and decipher it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu I love angst


	5. Chapter 5

THURSDAY MORNING

After another night of restless sleep, Taeyong makes his way to the gallery. He is early, but it beats staying at home with nothing to do alone with his thoughts. As he strolls down the busy roads he cannot keep his mind from wandering to the subject that kept him up all night: Jaehyun. 

It is a constant whirlwind of emotions that pass through him when he thinks about him. Taeyong thought Jaehyun was the one, that even if their relationship wasn't the best the hardships they encountered together made their relationship stronger. That's what he liked to believe at the beginning, but now...

He laughs out loud at the irony of it all. 

Relationships are not supposed to be easy, but they aren’t supposed to be like this either. 

If someone were to question him about his relationship status what would he say?

Is he taken? No.

Is he single? No.

Then what is he? He doesn’t know.

He makes his way across the street to a small cafe to get his morning fix. He used to hate coffee in the past, now he drinks it like water. He would like to believe that the reason for this is the fact that he has matured, but he knows the reason was Jaehyun. Jaehyun who loved his coffee warm in the morning and a cup of iced coffee in the afternoon.

He started drinking coffee because the person he loved liked it very much.

He now drinks it because it is one of the things that gives him the energy to keep going.

He orders his usual caffe latte to go and gives a warm smile to the barista as he pays. He moves to the side to wait for his order and looks up as someone calls his name.

“Taeyong!” Joo-hyun waves her hand excitedly as she makes her way towards him.  
Taeyong smiles warmly at her, opening his arms to give her a quick hug. “Good morning,” he mumbles into her hair.

“Morning, how are you doing today?” she questions him quietly, her eyes are sad when she looks at him. It hurts her to know that Taeyong is hurting and that there is nothing that she can do. Taeyong is grateful that it is not pity he sees in her eyes, he has enough pity from others and he doesn’t need nor want more.

He sighs, pulling away from their hug. “I’m okay,” he tells her and takes her hand and squeezes it to give her a little more reassurance.

Joo-hyun gives him a small smile, hoping that Taeyong finds his happiness in the end, whether it be with Jaehyun or without.

“Well we have a busy day ahead of us. We are getting some deliveries today for the end of the year exhibition and from the emailed that I opened this morning it seems we have the newcomer’s exhibition at the end of this month.” She says as she waits in line for her turn to order. 

Taeyong takes his coffee and waits while Joo-hyun gets her turn and orders a vanilla latte. She pays and moves to stand next to him as they wait for her drink.

“Hmmm…” he mumbles, ideas already running through his mind. He has to come up with a theme and discuss his ideas with the artist and get his input on things.

Joo-hyun steps up and picks up her drink when her name is called. She turns back to Taeyong and takes his elbow as they start walking out of the cafe. He holds the door open for her to pass before he closes the door behind himself. They make their way down the road to the gallery laughing about Joo-hyun’s mother setting her up with marriage interviews. According to Joo-hyun’s mother Joo-hyun is at the perfect age to start to look for marriage candidates, but Joo-hyun herself disagrees. She wants for love to come naturally, to find the person she will spend the rest of her life with by spilling coffee down his shirt on accident, by running into him in an elevator, the possibilities are countless and she does not want to rush it.

“You know, maybe you’ll know if he’s the one if you go to one of the interviews and spill your drink on him…” Taeyong innocently says.

Joo-hyun sends him a small glare, “I don’t want to!” She cutely stomps her foot while pouting up at him.

Taeyong laughs, “Maybe your mom is right, you’re too old to act cute.”

Joo-hyun swats his arm and pushes her coffee into his hand while she turns to open the door of the gallery.

Taeyong is still laughing when he looks across the street. There, leaning against an expensive car with two cups of coffee is Jaehyun. When Taeyong’s eyes meet his own he straightens up, walks to the closest garbage and throws both cups in. He looks back at Taeyong before stepping inside the car. He gives another heated look before looking away and drives off, like nothing happened.

Taeyong’s eyes are wide open. What just happened? Jaehyun was here? He brought him coffee? Taeyong thinks that his mind is playing tricks with him.

“Taeyong!” Joo-hyun calls to him, “you coming?” she questions holding the door open.

He shakes his head making his way towards the door and walking inside the gallery.

The only thing running through his mind is that this was the first time Jaehyun came to the place where he worked. And Taeyong doesn’t know how to feel about that knowledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was raining today where I live, perfect weather for writing.  
> I was listening to Universe by EXO while writing this, hence the mention of coffee.


	6. Chapter 6

FRIDAY EARLY MORNING

3:00am Call…  
3:01am Call ended.  
3:05am Call…  
3:06am Call connected.

“Yong, where are you? (pause) I miss you…” Jaehyun whines through the phone.

“Jae, it’s three in the morning, why are you calling me?” Taeyong asks, sleep heavy on his voice, he was so busy at work that the moment his head hit the pillow he fell asleep.

“I don’t know where I am,” Jaehyun giggles quietly, “where are you? I’ll come to you.”  
Taeyong can hear the heavy bass of music in the background and he can pretty much guess that Jaehyun is drunk at the club. He would never call him otherwise. He knows if he agrees Jaehyun would probably drive to his apartment drunk and he did not want to put others in danger, he needs to stop him from driving while drunk.

“Who are you with? I can go pick you up.” Taeyong quietly says.

“I’m all alone without you Yong.” Jaehyun slurs.

“Jae, give me the name of the place where you are. I’ll come to you, I just need to know where you are.” Taeyong breathes heavily, hopping Jaehyun is not too drunk yet and at least knows where he is.

“I’m at 0 mile. Come quick, I’ll be waiting for you Yong.”

Taeyong sighs again, “ I’ll be there in a bit. Just wait for me okay?”

“Mmmhhh…” Jaehyun agrees before hanging up the phone.

 

When Taeyong gets out of the Taxi after paying the driver he looks up at the club in front of him. In bright neon red light the name 0 mi is a stark contrast to the black exterior.He shivers, knowing he should have grabbed a warmer jacket instead of the thin sweater he was wearing.

He tells the bouncer he came to look for his friend to drive him home, the bouncer looks him up and down from his grey fuzzy sweater to his pajama pants and slip on shoes and lets him walk in without a problem. As Taeyong maneuvers his way through the throng of dancing bodies he keeps looking around for Jaehyun.

He walks closer to the main bar and his heart stops mid-beat, there pushed up to the counter is Jaehyun, but he’s not alone. A girl has her hands around his neck and they are in the middle of a heavy makeout session. He looks away, he wants to turn around and go back to his warm bed and forget the phone call, forget Jaehyun. But no matter how much he tries he is stuck, watching the scene unfold in front of him.

He knows that if he doesn’t take Jaehyun back home there is a possibility of something bad happening, especially of he insists on driving himself. So he pushes through the sweaty bodies and makes his way closer to where they are.  
“Jae,” he calls out loudly “let’s get you home.” Taeyong puts his arm on Jaehyun’s forearm that is hanging limply next to his side and pulls it a little to get his attention.

Jaehyun pulls away from the girl and she leaves right after, looking for someone else. He looks down at Taeyong’s hand on his arm and then looks up at Taeyong’s face. His face breaks out in a beautiful smile, dimples on show.

“You came,” he screams before hugging Taeyong tightly and lifting him off his feet with the force.

“Hey, calm down. You are too drunk for this.” Taeyong says trying to regain his footing after Jaehyun lets him go.

They make their way out towards the exit, Jaehyun hanging onto Taeyong for dear life and Taeyong struggling with the talle’s weight on him. As they step outside he leans Jaehyun up against the wall for better support and asks him for his keys. After getting them from his pockets they make their way towards the parking lot and Taeyongs presses the alarm to find his car. 

He buckles Jaehyun inside the car and makes his way towards the drivers side. He gets in and starts the engine, waiting for the car to heat up he looks at the passenger’s side where Jaehyun is leaning up against the window of the car. At that moment Jaehyun turns his eyes towards Taeyong and gives him a small smile. He reaches a hand towards Taeyong’s face,

“I knew you would come,” his smile turning wider “you always came. You are the only one who would.” He quietly says, his face distorting with a frown. He says nothing else and just leans his head back on the headrest and closes his eyes.

Taeyong’s hands on the steering wheel tighten, the veins on his hands bulging with the pressure. He says nothing as he pulls out of the parking lot and makes his way towards his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have created a twitter account where I will be posting previews of upcoming chapters and sharing the music I listen to while writing. Please let me know your thoughts and how I can improve my writing. Find me @ moon_lover94


	7. Chapter 7

FRIDAY MORNING

Once Taeyong arrives at his apartment it was a difficult mission to get Jaehyun out of the car and into the elevator to get to his 8th floor apartment. After he successfully got him inside the elevator, Jaehyun wouldn’t stop his hands from roaming all over Taeyong’s body, kissing and licking all over his neck.

Taeyong tried to stop him and pushed him away once they arrived at his floor and he once again had great difficulty in guiding Jaehyun to one of the two door in the hallway. Once successfully inside the apartment Taeyong lead him to his bedroom and Jaehyun immediately fell asleep.

Taeyong breathed a sigh of relief and started up his laptop to do some work, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep. He went to the kitchen and got a glass of water with two aspirins and put them on the side table next to the bed for when Jaehyun wakes up.

He then settled himself at his desk and got to work, by the time that it was 6am he got up and stretched, making his way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He got a cup out of the cupboard and the creamer from the fridge. While going through the process of making the coffee to his liking after the coffee was done brewing, he heard some rustling from the bedroom. Jaehyun was awake. 

When he heard footsteps approaching he did not turn, instead he said out loud “Take a shower, there are some of your clothes inside of the closet still.”

The footsteps stopped, Taeyong held his breath, the footsteps hesitated for a little bit before fading away. He then heard the door to the bathroom closing and the shower starting. 

Taeyong released the breath he was holding and went back to his cup of coffee. He sat on the stool by the island facing the windows and looked at the rising sun while drinking his coffee. 

After he finished his coffee he washed the cup before he walked to his bedroom. He made the bed and cleaned up his desk, collecting work related paperwork and putting it aside to take with him for the meeting he had later on. He then walked inside his closet and selected Jaehyun’s clothes from the few pieces that were still there. The outfit consisted of a pair of black jeans, a striped white dress shirt, and a baggy black button up sweater. He set the outfit down on the bed before going back in to select his own outfit. He set his outfit down on the opposite side of the bed. By the time he had finished with the outfits the door to the bathroom opened and Jaehyun stepped outside the bathroom and into the bedroom in only a towel around his hips and small drops of water running down his naked chest.

Taeyong breathed in sharply, but looked away quickly. He made his way towards the bathroom door as Jaehyun approached the bed for his clothes. He closed the bathroom door behind himself as he leaned against it, breathing heavily. He decided to ignore his racing heart and get to his shower. 

After he was done with his shower he stepped outside and made his way towards the bed, picking up his clothes and getting ready for the day. He heard no noises from the main living area but he ignored it and packed his stuff into his canvas bag. Once ready he made his way towards the kitchen to get his thermos to go. 

There on the white marble island was a sticky note that had a simple:

Thank You!  
-Jae

He looked around, not expecting Jaehyun to still be there, but he noticed a second cup on the drying rack, and he knew Jaehyun was gone. He closed his eyes tightly, Taeyong was still clueless as to what it all meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how I can improve or just drop by to say hi!   
> @ moon_lover94 on Twitter


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, real life kinda got in the way and I had no time to write. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and the story so far. Thank you all for the support >.<  
> Twitter @ moon_lover94

SUNDAY MORNING

After the events of the previous day and a restless night Taeyong gets ready to head out. Today he was spending the day with Joo-hyun, they were going to go shopping and try out a new restaurant that recently opened. He was excited, it was nice to let loose every once in a while. 

As he got ready he couldn’t help but think about the events of yesterday, after the whole Jaehyun leaving with only a note as a good-bye Taeyong had made his way to the office. Although it was the weekend he had scheduled a conference call with the owner of the gallery, his boss, to talk about the new artist that they were to introduce at the end of the month. Since his boss was always busy traveling around the world Taeyong had gotten his boss's only free day to have the call, which had been extremely fruitful. Everything was in motion, all he needed to do was meet with the artist in person to get everything in order and ready for the exhibition. 

He picks ups his canvas bag with everything he needed and makes his way towards the train station where he agreed to meet up with Joo-hyun. He was grateful for having such a great friend like her, who would listen to him without judgement. He had told her about what happened yesterday and she had said that they needed to do something fun to help him take his mind off it. And he agreed, it was time to start to move on from something that will never be. 

When he arrived at the station he waited by leaning against the wall, pulling his phone out to text her he had arrived. 

Taeyong to Baechu<3

12:45pm Hey, I’m here.  


Baechu to Taeyong 

12:50pm Almost there >.<

He looked up from his phone and waved when he saw her approach smiling brightly at her. 

“Hey Tae, how are you feeling today?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“I’m doing fine, let’s go we don’t want to miss the train.” he responded with a smile.

Joo-hyun held on to his elbow as they made their way down the stairs to make their way to the train. They made small talk on their way there and waited in line for the train to arrive. They talked about how they met and the memories made the both of them smile like they were crazy, laughing out loud and everything.

~MEMORIES~

Taeyong had gotten an internship at the gallery while in his last year of uni and Joo-hyun was already working at the gallery. The day that they were introduced to each other had been eventful to say the least. Tayong had been touring the gallery while the boss was taking an impromptu call from an overseas client in his office and Joo-hyun was at her desk on the phone as well talking with a different client about the art piece they were trying to ship out of the country for an exhibit. Taeyong had been aimlessly walking around admiring the art pieces in the walls when he heard the phone being put down and Joo-hyun speaking with someone that had walked in. 

Joo-hyun was trying to ask the person what they needed nicely, but the older guy was being extremely rude and telling her he could do whatever he wanted. As Taeyong made his way towards them he stopped when he heard the man ask her for her number, he was speechless. The guy was an ass and he dared ask her for her number? Taeyong couldn’t really blame him though, she was beautiful. 

As he made his way towards them he had a wild idea but when he saw Joo-hyun’s face he thought that maybe it wasn’t so bad. So he made up his mind and ran with it. 

“Hey babe, is this guy bothering you?” Taeyong asked with the most threatening voice he could make and it seemed to have worked because the man looked at him with a panic look in his eyes. 

Joo-hyun looked shocked at first but quickly caught on to what he was playing at, “No babe I’m okay, he was just leaving.” She responded with a firm voice and the guy had no choice but to bid his goodbyes as he made his way out.

“Thank you for that,” she sighed, “he’s been bothering me for the past week asking me out on a date and for my phone number and no matter what I did he would not leave me alone, although this is the first time he came inside the gallery.” She said frustrated.

Taeyong couldn’t help but shiver, that guy was creepy and he was glad he could help her. “If he continues to bother you let me know, I will be here almost everyday starting next week so maybe he’ll get a hint.” He said.

“Thanks, want to go get coffee?” she asked reaching for her purse, “boss will take a while before he is available again.” She said.

“Um sure.” Taeyong responded not really minding, after a long chit chat over coffee they came to the conclusion that they should be friends. And he is pretty sure that Joo-hyun had something to do with the boss contacting him after his internship to ask if he wanted to work there full time, and he was thankful. Since then they have been inseparable and he had even met her parents and vice versa, going back home together during the weekends to visit. He would like to think he met Joo-hyun at the right time, she was there for him when he was at his lowest and was a great support to get him out of his depression. She was his best-friend, who acted like a mom at times, but he loved her for it and he will always be thankful for her. They did not have any sort of romantic feelings for each other and they made that clear to each other at the beginning of their friendship, they both had complicated “situations” with other people and were there for each other when no one else was. 

He looked at her across the table and smiled widely at her, she looked up from the menu and gave him a confused smile. They ordered their food and made small talk about their families and other friends, catching up with each other’s life. After they finished with their food they made their way around the stores and enjoyed the weather outside by walking everywhere. 

At the end of the day he made sure she got home safely before making his way to his apartment. He took out his phone for the first time since the train station and looked at his messages. 

Oh Sehun  
5:00pm XXXXX Restaurant at 2:00pm okay with you?

Jae  
5:03pm Yong...  
5:05pm Want to have dinner today?  
6:00pm Are you okay?  
8:45pm I guess not.  
9:06pm Okay

Mom  
6:04pm Are you coming home next weekend?  
6:06pm Bring Baechu with you, I have something special for her  
that she has been looking for forever.

 

Taeyong looked at the time on his phone, 10:45pm, time really flies when you are enjoying the moment. It had been a long day and he did not regret it, his mind was clearer and he had a goal in mind. Talking with Joo-hyun had been a great stress reliever and he was able to think things through. He responded to his messages.

To Oh Sehun  
11:00pm Sorry for the late reply, 2pm works just fine. See you there!

To Mom  
11:06pm Yes mom, I was just with her and we made plans to go together.  
Did you forget I’m your son? You’re always spoiling her and not me >.<

To Jae  
12:00am Sorry, I was busy.  
12:05am Maybe next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The past couple chapters have been mostly fillers, sorry >.< but I want the characters to develop a little more so that when the real drama starts you guys have a deeper understanding of why they act the way the do. Hope you are enjoying the story so far :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter is here, sorry for the wait I honestly did not know what to write. Hopefully you guys enjoy this update, let me know what you guys think by leaving your messages and/or questions in my twitter where I have my curious cat link @moon_lover94 or in the comments below. Thank you to those of you who keep commenting, you make me so happy >.<

MONDAY MORNING

 

Taeyong surprisingly had a good nights rest and was woken up by his alarm for the first time in weeks, maybe even months. He was ready for the day, he was excited about today. He will finally meet the artist he signed for the first time in person after having only communicated via email and such. He got ready for the day and made his way to the gallery. After a quick stop for an americano at the coffee shop he arrived at the gallery and made his way inside. He spent the rest of the morning responding to emails and helping Joo-hyun with cleaning around the place before his meeting. When it was time for him to leave to make it to the restaurant in time he bid his goodbyes and started his walk to the restaurant. 

Once in front of the restaurant he took a deep breath before making his way inside. He walked towards the greeter and told her his name, she guided him towards a table already occupied by a tall man from what he could tell. The greeter excused herself and left them alone. The man stood up and shook his hand and they formally introduced themselves. 

“Hello, nice to finally meet you. My name is Lee Taeyong and I will be helping you with whatever you need for the upcoming exhibition.” Taeyong introduced himself and gave a small bow. 

“Nice to meet you, umm I guess I am the artist that you will be taking care of, Oh Sehun. Thank you for taking an interest in my art.” Mr.Oh shyly responded, also bowing a little towards Taeyong. 

They both took their seats and decided to order something to drink. After an awkward beginning they finally got more comfortable with each other while talking about the exhibition. It was a great first meeting and they were able to agree on a lot of the stuff that needed to be decided so they decided to order their food. 

While they ate they made small talk and Taeyong learned that Mr.Oh is a well known businessman. He wanted to pursue art as a student in college, but because of the pressure from his parents he decided to graduate with a degree in business. Mr.Oh had recently started to work on his art again, he needed an outlet from all the stress he accumulated at work and painting calmed him a lot. After his secretary found some of his painting, she asked if he would be okay if she posted them in an online forum, Mr.Oh saw no problem with that, in fact he felt glad that people enjoyed his paintings. So when he was contacted by Taeyong, Mr.Oh felt like he could not let the opportunity escape him, it was something he had dreamed about since he was young.

Taeyong couldn’t help but smile, although he hadn’t done much for him, he felt happy knowing that he had helped someone reach their dreams. They continued to talk until they finished their food, by the end of it Taeyong noticed his companions natural charisma and self-confidence make an appearance. They ended their meal with a scheduled second meeting before the night of the exhibition, Mr.Oh offered to drive him back to the gallery and Taeyong took the offer. 

Once the meal was paid, which Mr.Oh had taken care of before Taeyong had the chance to say anything, they made their way to his car. They both got in and Taeyong gave him the directions to the gallery. They had a silent car ride, enjoying the radio playing in the background. When they arrived at their destination Taeyong turned and thanked Mr.Oh for the ride and opened the door to get out when he was stopped by a hand holding onto his arm.

“Taeyong,” Mr. Oh started, “it was nice meeting you and you can call me Sehun, Mr.Oh makes me feel old and I’m only a couple years older than you.” Mr.Oh laughed warmly at him. 

Taeyong gave a small chuckle, “Okay, it was a pleasure meeting you as well Sehun.” 

Mr.Oh gave him a small wave and Taeyong closed the door and waved his goodbyes before making his way inside the gallery. 

As he let the door close behind him Taeyong was finally checking his messages as he made his way towards Joo-hyun’s desk and did not notice that there was someone else inside until said person cleared his throat. 

Surprised, Taeyong almost dropped his phone when his head snapped upward to see who it was. He was shocked by the person who was leaning against Joo-hyun’s desk. He looked at Joo-hyun who looked as baffled as he did, finally he looked at the person who shocked both him and Joo-hyun into silence. Getting his voice back he turned to the uninvited guest and asked the most obvious question he could possibly ask, 

“Jaehyun, what are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also started doing some edits for each chapter, they are pretty simple but I hope you can go check them out on my twitter :) Leave a comment letting me know if you want longer chapters or shorter ones, I don't know how long I should make them >.<
> 
> Twitter @moon_lover94


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to update >.< I am transferring colleges and I'm trying to enjoy my time left with my family before I move away, so I have not had the time to sit down and write. Also I haven't had the inspiration to write and this chapter is crap, sorry. I'm starting school in September and will have a more consistent schedule after that so please be patient with me, this also means longer chapters. :) Please let me know your thoughts in the comments! Or if you just wanna talk shoot me a dm on twitter if you'd like, I'm told I'm a great listener :)
> 
> Twitter @ moon_lover94
> 
> *** Re-upload, see end notes pls

Monday

“Tae…” Joo-hyun whispered quietly as their eyes met in shock.

At the whisper of his name Jaehyun turned to look at him. He smiled at him, full dimples and all.

“I was looking for you, Tae. Joo-Hyundai here was just telling me that you were out of the office for the rest of the day.” He said glancing back at Joo-hyun, who was not so discreetly showing her dislike for his being here by glaring at him behind the papers she was holding.

Taeyong gave Joo-hyun a look, before looking back at him.  
“Ummm… I was not supposed to come back after the lunch meeting with the client, but I forgot my laptop so I had to come back before heading home,” he explained.

Taeyong shared another look with Joo-hyun as he headed towards his office, motioning for Jaehyun to follow him. “Come with me to my office, we can talk there.”

Once they were both inside, Taeyong closed his door and motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs by the window, before making his own way towards the one left unoccupied.

Jaehyun looked at him and gave him his best dimple smile to date while saying, “Join me for dinner on Wednesday night? There is a lot we need to discuss and I have a preposition for you that I would like to discuss in greater detail.” 

Taeyong looked at him confused, “Preposition?” he questioned. Taeyong didn’t know what to think of his offer. On the one hand there was many things about their current “arrangement” that they needed to discuss and he was curious to know what the preposition was all about. But, he knew he might not like what they talk about and end up hurt, like all the other times.

Jaehyun walked up to him and held him by his waist, whispering in his ear, “Yes…” he mumbled as he nibbled on Taeyong’s ear. He slowly and sensually made his way down his neck, sucking and nibbling as he went down. Once he was satisfied and Taeyong was breathless he pulled back and took a few steps back, rearranging his clothes as if nothing had happened. 

“So will you accompany me on Wednesday night Tae?” Jaehyun questioned with another bright smile on his handsome face. 

Taeyong, breathless, breathed out a short “Yes” and before he had a chance to catch his breath Jaehyun had taken the liberty of giving him peck on the lips before making his way out of the office. 

Taeyong stood there stock still, trying to process what had happened in the short time of twenty minutes. He didn’t know if it was such a good idea to meet with Jaehyun in a private setting, it always ended with them on a bed and nothing resolved. 

He hoped that it wouldn’t turn out like all the times before. 

But if he knew what would happen that Wednesday night, maybe he wouldn’t have hoped for a different outcome.

He would end up regretting it. 

 

As you grow older you learn to expect less, especially from those you hold dear to your heart. There comes a day when you will be let down and when you expect the world from them it leaves a bitter taste of disappointment resting heavy on your tongue.

As Taeyong checked his phone for the upteenth time that night, a strong feeling of disappointment washed over him. He didn’t know who he was more disappointed on, Jaehyun for standing him up or himself for believing in him. He had taken this invitation as a sign that they could fix whatever problems they had, that maybe they could start anew, and now he was just done.

As the waiter came with the bill for the wine he had ordered and not opened, a look of pity in her gaze, he looked away. He didn’t need anyone’s pity, especially from a stranger, his own self pity was enough. He paid his bill and made his way out of the restaurant, holding the door open for a couple walking in.

He waited in the curb for Joo-Hyun, he had sent her a message earlier to come pick him up, when it became clear Jaehyun was a no show. And he didn’t want to be alone tonight.

He stood outside the restaurant, eyes closed and face facing the night sky. As his eyes shed their first tears, it seemed like the moon shared his feelings of sadness. He felt the cold touch of falling snowflakes on his warm cheeks and the tears came faster. He didn’t want to cry in public and he was glad when Joo-Hyun pulled up in front of him. He opened the door of the car and got in immediately. He looked over at her and gave her a small smile, trying to show his gratitude. She was looking at him, tears swimming in her eyes as she took both his hands in hers, trying to share her warmth and give him strength. She knew what this dinner meant to him and it was cruel, just plain cruel for Jaehyun to do this to him, not even giving him an excuse.

She squeezed his hands and let go for a moment while she pulled out and started the drive home. She took his left hand in her right, holding tight the whole drive back to her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait. This is unfortunately just a better version of the last update since I was not happy with it at all. I am extremely sorry for not being able to update, but college is really kicking my butt and I had to start working since I am paying for everything myself. I do have a few chapters already written and all I have to do is type it. Not really sure when I will get to update again since I have a lab and 2 exams coming up. Again I do apologize, just know that the story is not dropped.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter, kind of a filler so I do apologize but it's necessary. 
> 
> Also, last chapter was edited a few days(?) ago, so if you have not read it, please do so, otherwise this chapter will be a little confusing.

The drive back was quiet, neither of them said anything. Taeyong was at a lost for words, his mind and heart too exhausted to say anything out loud. Joo-hyun knew that nothing she said could erase the pain he was feeling at the moment, so she held onto his hand, afraid that of she let go he might disappear.

That night Joo-hyun drove to her apartment instead of his. She lead him to her bedroom and help him settle in her bed. She held onto him while he broke down, painful sobs finally making their escape and the pain they told ringing in her ears. She held him tight as he cried himself to sleep, holding tight to her with his face in hidden in her stomach.

It was hard for her to witness her best friend, her chosen brother, break down so hard. His gut wrenching sobs and his shaking body just made her hold him tighter, wanting to take some of his pain from him. And that's how they both fell asleep, tears streaks on their cheeks, and holding each other tightly.

 

When they wake up the next day they were still holding onto each other, Taeyong’s hold still tight on her torso. He was afraid that if he let go she wouldn’t back, so they stayed like that for some time. Joo-hyun playing with his hair and Taeyong blankly staring at the wall. 

They fall asleep after a while and the next time they wake up it was past noon. They both get up and get ready for the day. Taeyong takes a shower first and in the meantime she opens her curtains and lets the sun shine inside her bedroom walls. She makes her way to her kitchen and starts a kettle, she makes a light breakfast of eggs and toast, not feeling like anything too heavy. She sets the readied food on the table along with the tea and also opens the the curtains on her small eating area, the outside world covered in a light blanket of snow. 

Taeyong makes his way towards the table and sits down opposite her. They talk about their day ahead, shooting ideas back and forth. They both know he needs time to process his thoughts and feelings before they could have a heart to heart, so for the moment he distracts himself with work. And she understands he needs the time, so she gives him space.

It was a few weeks before Taeyong was ready to talk about what had happened that day, or the lack of. During that time he had temporarily moved in with Joo-hyun. The gallery exhibition was on its way, the date had been set and preparations were underway. The artist, Mr. Oh, had asked to include a new piece he had recently finished and Taeyong had agreed right away, excited to see the new piece.

He was really looking to the day of the exhibit, with only a few days to go. His breakpoint was the day the new painting arrived at the gallery. He was standing next to Mr. Oh as it was being hanged on the wall. As he looked at the painting he was hit full force with all the emotions he had been trying to contain, his heart squeezed painfully and it became hard to breathe. 

The picture was the back view of a man sitting alone in a bench by the river side. The dark colors contrasted with the bright flowers that were on the dumpster next to the bench. The man was hunched over and as if he was there, standing behind the man in real life, he could tell the man’s shoulders would be shaking. Something in him connected in a deeper level with the man in the painting, he understood the message that the painting shared with its audience.

As his cheeks started to get wet from the tears that streaked down, Mr. Oh only reached out his hand to offer his handkerchief to him. He gratefully accepted it and dabbed his tears away.

“You know,” Mr. Oh started, “when I needed to clean my mind from all the stress that piled up from work I would often take a walk along the river side.”

Taeyong’s tears continue to stream down his cheeks, his efforts to stop them are futile. 

“Sometimes I would come across a man who sat alone in a bench,” he slowly continued, “ most of the time he would be staring up at the sky and he would have this sadness etched on his beautiful face, it was the type of sadness that takes years of pain to acquire.” 

“I wanted to approach him, give him my shoulder to cry, but he would always smile at the moon before leaving, and I didn’t understand why…” Mr. Oh breathes out.

“And after a few times witnessing it, I understood, I understood why he would sit there and stare up at the sky, he was talking with the moon,” he continued, “and I knew that the moon provided a comfort I could never measure up to, so I looked from afar. And that smile was him thanking the moon for being there, for listening to him.”

Mr. Oh was looking sideways at Taeyong, a sparkle of sadness on his eyes as he continued with the story behind the painting. “There came a day when the man was sitting on the bench, hopeful sad eyes looking up towards the sky. But in that day, the moon was not there, hidden behind clouds, no moon in sight. And the man kept looking up, maybe hoping the clouds would move. But it didn’t happen and the man had no one to share his words with. He was all alone and so he cried, it was the first time I had witness someone break down like that, with so much pain and sorrow… I went back a few times and never saw him again.” He finished his story. 

By now Taeyong had finally calmed down, “It’s beautiful,” he whispered, throat tight as he wiped away at his remaining tears.

“The unknown man taught me that sometime sharing your pain is hard and sometimes it is easy. You just have to be ready for it.” Mr. Oh calmly whispered before squeezing his shoulder and walking away to give him time to compose himself.

After a few calming breaths, Taeyong turned to go back to his office and he was hit with the force of someone running to him and hugging him. He caught her and balanced his stance as to not make them both fall and squeezed her back just as tight. He took great comfort on the warmth from the person hugging him, the warm feeling spreading through him.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her hair, “I think I’m ready…” he trailed off.

“I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An excuse to not do my homework and my feelings of guilt for not updating in so long. Hope you enjoy all the Taerene content ***wink, wink*** wish I had a best friend like that. I don't have anyone I can share my thoughts and feeling freely with and if you do, I hope you treasure them as much as possible, having someone that is genuinely there for you is so hard to find. <3
> 
> Also, I do apologize for the chapters not being long, every time I sit down and write there is so many things I want to express but it never seems to translate the same way in writing. 
> 
> Anyways, since I'm always in my feelings please listen to The Benefits of Heartbreak by Epik High ft. Suhyun and join me.
> 
> -ME


	12. Jaehyun's POV [Restaurant]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings of guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everybody!!🎊🎊🎊

Jaehyun could see Taeyong inside the restaurant waiting for him. As he continued to look through the window he felt indifferent to the situation. 

He knows he should walk in and meet with him, for god's sake he was the one who invited him out, but something held him back. He didn't know what to call it, but he stayed rooted in place. He walked back to his car and just sat there, he had a pretty good view of the main entrance. He stayed inside his car looking at all the people that entered or left. 

At exactly 11:05pm, according to his dashboard, he saw his Taeyong holding the door open for people to enter as he left. Taeyong looked up and down the street, unable to recognize his car since he decided not to drive his usual ride. Jaehyun looked at his face, he expected to see anger reflected in his eyes. But from what he could tell it wasn't anger the thing that made Taeyong's eyes shine in the moonlight. 

His eyes reflected pain, a pain so deep Jaehyun had to look away right away, he couldn't look at his eyes even from this distance. So he started up his car and drove away, he didn't even look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short update again, very sorry about that but I've been busy 😢
> 
> I decided to update a little insight into what Jae is going through, please don't hate him 😖
> 
> Also, who's ready for WayV?!?!?! 
> 
> Because I know I am!!!! 😤😤😤


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